Ebola death toll reaches 7,000

The number of people diagnosed with Ebola has risen above 16,000 with the death toll from the worst outbreak on record reaching almost 7,000 in West Africa, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

The death toll is more than 1,000 higher than the figure issued by the WHO just two days ago, but it is though to include deaths that have gone unreported since the outbreak began. Most of the new deaths occurred in Liberia.

The WHO has warned that its figures could be a significant underestimation of the number of infections and death.

Just over 16,000 people have been diagnosed with Ebola since the outbreak was confirmed in the forests of remote southeastern Guinea in March. Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia have accounted for all but 15 of the deaths in the outbreak, which has touched five other countries, according to previous WHO figures.

Liberia has recorded the highest number of cases and deaths, but the rate of infection is slowing there. The disease is now spreading fastest in Sierra Leone.

Mali has started recording infections after sick people crossed over from neighbouring Guinea. It has reported two new cases this week.

The WHO said this week that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo had ended, as it did in Nigeria in late October.

Its guidelines state that a country can be declared free of the virus once 42 days have passed and no new cases have been detected. The 42 days represents twice the maximum incubation period for Ebola.

Scientists said on Thursday that progress towards creating an Ebola vaccine had been made. An experimental vaccine has triggered promising immune responses from 20 healthy volunteers in a preliminary trial, suggesting that it should protect against infection.